Indian Butter Chicken Recipe:
If you love Indian food, you are going to love this butter chicken. It is rich, creamy, flavorful, and aromatic. And tastes like take-out. Serve it with Naan for the complete experience.
Chicken thighs or chicken breasts cooked to perfection in a creamy spiced tomato sauce and topped with cilantro. This delicious dish, similar to tikka masala, and spiced with Indian spices, is sure to be a family favorite in no time. And did I mention it comes together super quickly?
Easy butter chicken is perfect for any meal. The perfect blend of Indian spices and flavors combine for a well balanced meal. Just serve over rice for an easy and delicious meal in no time. Serve it with Best Ever Roasted Broccoli for a nice vegetable side.
After a visit to Delhi in India, I knew I had to learn to make butter chicken. I love this Easy Butter Chicken recipe as it is quick and simple, but when I want more indulgent, rich, and fantastic butter chicken, this is the recipe for me. I also created a Low Carb Butter Chicken. So, I’ve got you covered on all platforms.
A delicious recipe in no time
Okay, I want to clear one thing up really quickly…this is not an authentic recipe. The chicken does not have bones in it. It does not start with dry chicken. And it doesn’t actually have any butter, except the bit you cook the chicken in. It might be closer to a Tikka Masala than an Indian Butter Chicken. I have no intention of offending any kind of culture or cuisine type. I just love food, and this version of this recipe tastes delicious.
Indian Butter Chicken is full of Indian spices like tumeric and garam masala, and one of those foods that you eat so fast you practically inhale because that creamy, buttery, spicy, tomato sauce is seriously delicious and you can’t stop eating it.
Indian food is an experience
I clearly remember the first time I went to an Indian restaurant to eat. I have never been picky, but I wasn’t super adventurous with food either. That has changed significantly, especially after visiting Markets in Israel, and Lake Como, Italy Cooking Class. Basically, now food is my passion. But before that, I was quite timid about new foods.
My (now ex) husband and I decided to try a local Indian restaurant, and when we opened our car doors my nose was assaulted with those rich spices. All the way in the parking lot I could smell the food. I was a little worried. But, my mouth instantly started watering. And the food did not let me down.
I have been hooked since.
We went home after eating, and the scent clung. I kept sniffing myself. Hahahah. I didn’t even want to wash my clothes, the smell made me happy. And hungry.
Trying Indian recipes at home
I have always been a little hesitant to try any recipes at home because I didn’t want to make my whole house smell. I am happy to report that the scent, while delicious, fades quickly and won’t leave you feeling like you are living in an Indian restaurant kitchen.
These are all great options.
Rich and full flavors layered upon each other make for a rich spice filled experience
You will enjoy every bite of Indian Butter Chicken. Every spicy and delicious bite. And when I say spicy, I don’t mean hot, heat, make your mouth burn spicy. I mean layer upon layer of flavor–spicy.
Often when I am recipe testing, I make the same recipe over and over with slight tweaks, and my family gets sick of it fast. This recipe is one of the few they still want to eat. Sure, they don’t want it every single night. But I made Indian Butter Chicken a week ago, and they gobbled it right up.
Butter Chicken Needs:
- The basics: Chicken, Rice, Tomatoes, and spices you probably have on hand.
- Tumeric– A spice you can pick up at most grocery stores, but you may not regularly keep it on hand.
- Garam Masala- I use this one, I got on Amazon, and it is awesome.
- Heavy Cream- This is what makes it so rich and creamy.
- Cilantro- This is a garnish, but it adds a depth of flavor, so don’t skip it!
Take a look at some other chicken recipes that you may want to try:
- Pollo Saltado (Chicken Stir Fry)
- Chicken Enchilada Meal Prep Bowls
- Kung Pao Chicken ( Pressure Cooker)
- Chicken Sausage and Peas Alfredo-Pesto Skillet Pasta
- Sticky Chicken Bites
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Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless or chicken breast (boneless and skinless) cut into pieces.
- Salt and Pepper
- ½ cup sour cream or plain greek style yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 Tbs ginger paste
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbs Butter
- 1 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1 cup pureed tomatoes
- 1 Tbs white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Cut chicken into pieces, and season with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sour cream or plain yogurt with the lemon juice, tumeric, garam masala, chili powder, cumin, ginger paste, minced garlic, and toss with chunked up chicken.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Preferably longer.
- Heat the vegetable oil and butter over high heat in a large fry pan.
- Add the chicken coated in the Marinade and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flipping once.
- Add the pureed tomato, sugar and salt. Stir to combine.
- Turn down to low and cover with lid. Let simmer for 20 minutes if using chicken thighs, 15 minutes if using chicken breasts.
- Add the cream, and stir well.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
- Serve over rice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Kevin | Keviniscooking says
I would devour this in an instant and it’s still coffee time!
Rachael says
Thanks Kevin, We make it A LOT! It is one of my faves.
Lisa Gnesa says
I Loved the flavors of this very much! If I wanted to kick up the heat, which spices should I increase, besides obviously the chili powder? I am not familiar enough with the others to know what they are adding to the dish haha.
Kimberly says
Cayenne pepper would do the trick. I have a Pakistani friend who makes this she uses cayenne. It won’t alter the taste. Nice and spicy ?
Beverly Carman says
Add Cayenne pepper according to heat preference start with 1/8 tsp and add more to your liking. That’s what I did.
Shawn says
My husband loves indian butter chicken. I have never made it, I bet he would love me forever if I made this for him!
Brenna says
Can’t wait to make this tonight!!! ??
Rachael says
I hope you love it!
STEPHEN LAMPHEAR says
What does ‘serves 1 cup’ mean?
Would also be nice if receipe was formatted to print on 1 page rather than 2.
Thnx
Rachael says
Wow, my recipe card is displaying funny. It should say 4 servings, 1 cup each. Not sure why it is displaying wrong, but I will try to figure out why it isn’t displaying properly. Thanks.
Vee says
Serves 1 cup means each serving is @ 1 cup. If you don’t like that the recipe is formatted to print on 2 pages, instead of 1 page, just copy and paste the recipe into Word and adjust accordingly and print. I do this all the time by removing unwanted images or extra text. Bottom line, this recipe is delicious and I hope you try it and enjoy it.
April says
I like to add veggies to dishes like this. Amby in particular you’d recommend?
April says
Sorry, autocorrect wins again. *any you’d recommend
Rachael says
I love eating it with green beans! It is also great with roasted yams.
Tammy says
What can you use if you can’t find ginger paste.
Rachael says
Fresh ginger! Just use a little less, as the paste is more concentrated.
Vee says
You can make your own ginger paste. Puree fresh ginger and water in a blender
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ginger-paste
Malcolm sargeant says
Put some ghee into the recipe it will do no harm and upgrade the flavour, fry the chicken in ghee as the first step and carry that ghee forward.
Rachael says
What a great suggestion. Thank you
girijav says
The most important ingredient kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves are missing. This vital ingredient is what gives this dish its distinct flavour.
Rachael says
I do not claim it to be authentic, quite the opposite, if you read my post you will see that this is my family’s favorite version of it using easy to find ingredients where I live.
ghazala says
Remember, this is Butter Chicken but in the recipe Butter is missing.
Rachael says
Hahah because there is no butter in butter chicken, which I point out in the text and on my social promotions!
Cathy says
What is ginger paste? I have never seen it at any of the supermarkets I shop at. What can I substitute? Fresh ginger? How much?
Rachael says
You can find it in the fresh produce section with the herbs, it is made my Gourmet Gardens. But you can substitute fresh ginger, do 1 1/2 the amount because the paste is more concentrated, but adjust for taste.
Carol says
Can I use ginger powder?
Rachael says
It would be better to use fresh ginger if you can. But if you need to use ginger powder, start with a small amount and adjust taste to preference.
coimbra says
Ok it say tomatoe pury but it look in video tin chop tomatoe. So what do i used.Thank
coimbra says
It say tomato pury.But in video it look like tin chop tomato.So what do i do.Thank you.
Rachael says
You can use either. Puree or crushed. I swap between based on what I have.
Belinda says
This recipe was amazing. Thanks for sharing
Melissa says
Oh My! THis was sooo delicious! I did use half the amount of cream but I don’t think I missed out on anything. Rich and creamy…and full of flavor!
Vera says
Home in a snowstorm today and made this for lunch. It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! I used chicken thighs and they were so tender. The sauce is the perfect blend of ingredients. Served over rice, as suggested, but also with a side of curried roasted cauliflower and Naan bread.
Rachael says
I hope you get out of the snow soon, and I am so glad you liked it. We love that one. And your side choices are spot on.
Leyla says
My husband is Kenyan Indian and has a VERY scrutinizing palate. He forwarded me this recipe and we tried it out together. I think it is absolutely DELICIOUS. Can’t wait to make this for my entire family (extended and otherwise!). Definitely a keeper! I was skeptical at first, especially with the heavy cream. We really tried to use fresh ingredients all the way though, and for a recipe like this, definitely is worth the extra effort to get it right. Some garlic naan and rice are the perfect compliments. Also, for the rice, we used some peas and carrots and cumin seeds to add a little extra, but white basmati rice alone would still work very well with the dish. Just had to say this dish is “Kenyan Indian” approved. 🙂
Rachael says
Oh my goodness, thank you Leyla! What a compliment. You definitely made my night. Hope you have a wonderful day. Love the suggestions for the rice.
Lindsay says
Holy Moly I am not kidding when I say this is one of the most delcious meals I have ever made!! It was so easy…I just let everything marinate throughout the day before cooking. I subbed fresh chopped ginger for ginger paste and I used a soy creamer since I don’t like heavy cream. Was so flavourful and perfect….I honestly want to make it again this week 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing this recipe….it is one I’ll come back to many times!
Rachael says
Lindsay, thank you for sharing your success! We love this recipe too. Definitely a family fave. Hope you have a great week, and go for it, nothing wrong with eating delicious food twice!
Marlow says
Made this today and it was such a lush meal! I used up all the chicken I had on hand so there was a lot of sauce left over. Wiped it up with some naan. <3 it. I used some ghee instead of vegetable oil and added a lot more spice for kick.